Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site

The initial idea for the Star of the Republic Museum came from State Representative, Gus Mutscher, in 1965. Mutscher attempted to pass a bill that would appropriate $800,000 to construct a museum that would showcase the region's history, or as he put it, "[a museum] that would be a Star upon a Star."₁ His vision was realized in 1969 when museum ownership was handed over to Blinn College.

The Museum officially opened in 1970 with no founding collection. However, over time, the museum acquired hundreds of pieces that were a representation of Texas history. With a permanent collection of this size, it was difficult to continually change exhibitions. Therefor, the museum participated in borrowing pieces from other types of institutions that allowed for numerous changing exhibits. During this time, the museum was able to purchase pieces, and grow their collection gradually.

The Star of the Republic Museum saw renovations and expansion at the end of the twentieth century. This made room for a growing collection and the resources to preserve that collection. However, in 1998, fundraising began to replace all of their exhibits at that time. Through this process, they raised over one million dollars, and created all new exhibits in the following years. Today, the Star of the Republic Museum has a collection numbering in the thousands, and they continue to acquire more pieces in hopes of further educational opportunities for the public.